


No, fuck YOU!

by CreeperEyes



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Everyone is an asshole in this, Gen, Negan (Walking Dead) Being an Asshole, Rick Grimes Being an Asshole, The Saviors get defeated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 20:10:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19708537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreeperEyes/pseuds/CreeperEyes
Summary: Losing Carl has left Rick feeling numb, lost and like a failure, and the Saviors aren't making things any easier.When Negan makes a snarky remark about Carl, Rick finally snaps.





	No, fuck YOU!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a Negan fan. He's one of my favorite Walking Dead characters, but does irk me that on the show he always got everything he wanted with no consequences, always won, and would always escape every attempt on his life unscathed. Season 8 took it to absurd levels and almost portrayed him as an invincible cartoon character.
> 
> A lot of fans like portraying him this way as well, hardly anybody writes about Negan being defeated. He doesn't win here. Alexandria wins and the Saviors lose.
> 
> This story takes place right after Season 8 episode 8, then drifts into non canon territory.

“What did you just say?” Rick’s voice dripped with venom as he glared at Negan.

Losing Carl numbed him, it made him feel like he had failed as a parent and that he had nothing left to live for. But that was far from the truth. Alexandria was his home now, and everybody in it was his family. He’d do anything and everything it took to keep them safe, even if it meant going on a suicide mission to take out a certain leather clad bat wielding douchebag.

That last comment from said douchebag about Carl flipped the switch. Rick had enough. He was just fucking _done._ He was done taking orders from Negan. He was done being enslaved. He was done risking his life scavenging for the Saviors so his people wouldn’t be hurt or killed every week. He was done watching the Saviors kidnap and kill his people for the smallest infractions. He was done being Negan’s bitch.

Negan, smug as always with Lucille propped on his shoulder, leaned against the stairs and smirked at Rick. He knew his comment riled Rick up, and repeating it would only anger him further. An angered Rick Grimes never failed to amuse him and brighten his day.

“I said it’s your fault Carl is dead. You weren’t here to keep him in line. If your boy hadn’t been such a little asshole to me last time I was here, we might not be in this situation. I thought I made myself crystal fucking clear. You do not hide shit from me. Not only that, Carl fucking lied to me. I didn’t want to kill anyone today, but I’m going to have to and it’s all your fault. You might as well be killing the fucker yourself. One of those assholes will be dying today on account of your fuck up. Lucille is-” Negan was cut off mid sentence as Rick suddenly threw a vase at his head with pinpoint accuracy. It shattered, stunning him and sending shards of porcelain raining down to the floor.

“Shut up! SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Rick shouted so loud it hurt his throat.

Negan wouldn’t be killing any of his people today, he’d make sure of it. His logical side drained away and his vision was obscured by red as he was completely possessed by a primal rage he hadn’t felt since he hacked Gareth to pieces with his machete.

Rick launched himself at Negan and punched him in the face before he could dodge. Lucille flew from his grip and rolled down the hall. Negan made a lunge for her, but Rick viciously slammed him against the staircase before he could pick her up. Negan, as predicted, wasn’t about to go down like a sissy. He fought back with malice, delivering hard blows to Rick’s face which split his lip open and blackened his left eye. The pain almost made Rick loosen his grip, but he mentally forced himself to work through it and take the hits. As long as he was able to endure Negan’s blows, he’d win. Like a rabid pitbull, his determination to beat his opponent overrode the pain he was feeling and he put both hands around Negan’s neck, squeezing hard. He wouldn’t let go, and he wouldn’t stop. Rick snarled as his hands choked tighter, and Negan’s blows quickly faded in power as he started gasping for air.

It was time to utilize his secret weapon.

Yesterday, Rosita gave Rick a present she’d found on the run she’d just returned from. It was a box containing three pairs of shiny police grade handcuffs. They key to the pair Rick had on him was missing, but that was just fine. He had no intentions of ever unlocking them.

Rick reached into his back pocket and before Negan could react, he slammed the man’s wrist against the railing, snapped the cuffs closed and locked the other cuff around one of the stair rails.

For a moment, Negan could only stare in disbelief. Not only had Rick the Prick beaten him in a fight, he’d managed to successfully cuff him. Negan being Negan, he wasn’t about to show humiliation in front of Rick, so the cocky grin on his bloody face remained and he chuckled to himself.

“Oh, Rick. I knew you were stupid but I didn’t think you were this fucking stupid. Do you have any fucking idea what you’ve just done? I was going to let you off easy today. I was only going to kill one person. Maybe that queer who gave me the stink eye when I said his boyfriend was too good for him.”

The smirk dropped from Negan’s face and his eyes darkened as his voice took on a somber tone. It was low and menacing, meant as a warning that would yield dire results.

“I’m going to give you ten seconds to unlock these cuffs. If you don’t, I will dig up your dead son and make you watch as I bash his head in right in front of you.”

Rick bristled and clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms. He wanted to pick up Lucille and smash her down onto Negan again and again until he was nothing but a pile of bloody mush.

But he didn’t. Rick wasn’t going to kill Negan. Instead, he was going to humiliate the man by keeping him as his prisoner and slave for the rest of his wretched life. It was, in his mind, a fate worse than death. Guys like Negan needed to be in control all the time, and permanently stripping him of that power would be more effective and satisfying to watch than simply killing him.

Rick stood close to Negan, but not close enough to be in his attack range.

“I don’t have the keys.” he stated matter of factly. 

Negan tugged on the cuffs, but try as he might he couldn’t slip out of them. 

Rick smiled.

“A few years back, I handcuffed Daryl’s brother Merle to a rooftop in Atlanta and he sawed his own hand off to escape.” he began. “He was a tough son of a bitch. But you? You don’t have the balls to do that. You strut around with that stupid bat in your hand thinking you’re such hot shit, bashing in heads and ruling over our people by threatening them. You dish it out, but you can’t take it. I’ve arrested countless guys like you. Wannabe big shot tough guys with colossal egos. You’re all the same. You think you’re untouchable, but you aren’t. You’re terrified of pain.”

Negan snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Are you done?”

Rick responded by picking Lucille up from the floor. Before, having her in his hands made him feel physically sick, but now, it made him feel empowered. For the first time since that night in the clearing, Rick had the upper hand. He aimed the end of the bat at Negan’s face.

“Go ahead. Kiss her goodbye, because you’re never touching her again.” Rick taunted.

Negan’s eye twitched and his voice rumbled out a low pitched threat.

“If you so much as put one fucking splinter in her, I will string you up by your balls, flay you alive and have Dwight and Simon rub salt in your wounds. Then when you’re begging for death, I won’t give it to you. I’ll make you suffer like you’ve never suffered before.”

Rick emitted a snicker which turned into full blown laughing within a second.

“Do you seriously think those two assholes are loyal to you? Dwight and Simon are both self serving pricks who will do anything to get ahead, just like you. I can see it in their eyes. They’re biding their time, just waiting for the right moment to strike. If you were about to be eaten by walkers, they wouldn’t save you.”

“You think I don’t know my own guys? This shit’s getting old, Rick.” Negan shot back.

Rick stopped laughing and nodded in agreement. “Yeah. It is.”

He forcefully swung Lucille down on Negan’s left arm, and he could almost feel the other man’s bones break. The delightful sound of his bones cracking and snapping was drowned out by the wonderful symphony composed of his shouts of pain. The break wasn’t a clean one. Negan’s arm was bent inward at an unnatural angle, and Lucille’s barbs had gouged away some of his flesh.

Negan spouted a string of profanities as he cradled his freshly broken arm, which was pouring blood and already starting to turn purple. He gave Rick a death glare. “Fuck you, Rick! You are so going to regret that! Fuck you! Fuck you fuck you fuck you!”

“No. Fuck _you._ ” Rick spat.

Before Negan could retort, Rick smashed Lucille’s handle against the back of his head, rendering him unconscious. 

***************************************************

Negan wasn’t out for long. He was jolted awake by the intense pain that radiated up and down his injured arm.

“Fuck! Jesus fucking christ!” he instinctively tried to hold his arm close to his chest, only to discover that he couldn’t.

His eyes shot open in alarm.

He was laying on the concrete floor of what appeared to be a jail cell. Sunlight streamed in from the small barred window near the top of the back wall, but that was the only amenity the otherwise bare room offered. The pair of cuffs Rick had slapped on him were still locked around his right wrist, but the left cuff was empty. A second pair of cuffs had been placed around both of his wrists, but the chain was outside of the bars of the cell, keeping him in place. He was tethered to the bars with nowhere to go.

That son of a bitch. Negan laughed to himself despite the intense pain he was in. Clearly he had underestimated the other man, but that didn’t matter. Rick had won this round, but it would be his first and only victory. Once Negan busted out of the cell, he’d kill most of Rick’s people as payback and anyone who tried to stop him would meet a brutal end. The Alexandrians wouldn’t be able to retaliate anyways. Negan hadn’t brought many of his red shirt soldiers with him on this trip, but most of his top people were right outside and they’d spring into action the second they realized he was being detained. 

Rick the Prick was going down. Fall in line and submit or be eradicated. Those were the rules, and since the Alexandrians were stubborn rule breaking assholes, they all had to die save for a select few.

The sweet, satisfying fantasy of smashing Rick’s head into nothing gave Negan the energy to start his escape. All he’d need to do was break the chain and he’d be out. He only had one arm to work with, but that was alright. He only needed one arm to wield Lucille. 

He didn’t have much leverage, but he tugged ferociously at the chain to put strain on it.

“Give up, Negan. That won’t work. They’re stainless steel cuffs.” Rick’s voice drifted from somewhere in the room. 

“Oh please. My nutsack is made of steel. You know, it’s almost cute how you think you can beat me. I’m done playing with you. I’m busting the fuck out of here and I’m going to kill the fuck out of you just to prove my point.” Negan replied.

Rick sauntered over to the cell door and looked at his prisoner with disdain. “That’s not going to happen. You’re going to spend the rest of your life in this room. I’m not going to kill you, but if Maggie were to come down here right now to put a bullet in your head, I wouldn’t stop her. This is your life now.”

“Wrong answer. My men are outside right now. _You_ need to give up. I always get what I want, and I always win.” Negan flipped Rick off with his good hand. “Get on your knees, because I’m going to shove my dick so far down your throat it’ll come out your ass. You’re a dead man, Rick!”

Rick sighed. This was downright comical.

“Let me ask you something, Negan. Do you know what it’s like having to survive, having to fight for your life? Do you know what it’s like to lose the people closest to you? Because I do.” Rick started. “I had to kill my best friend to save my own life. I lost my wife in the most horrific way, and Carl had to shoot her so she wouldn’t come back as one of them. I had to watch as one of the kindest, sweetest men I’ve ever known was brutally decapitated in front of his two daughters. Our home in the prison was bombed and destroyed. I was held at gun point as my son was pinned down by a pedophile, just seconds from being raped. My people and I were held hostage by cannibals. There were dismembered, butchered human bodies hanging from hooks, and we almost didn’t make it out alive. My group, my family, we stuck together, we looked out for each other no matter what, yet it wasn’t enough. I lost people to both the living and the dead. Once we finally reached safety in Alexandria, we were attacked by savage killers, and just when we started to recover from that, our walls fell from an attack by the biggest herd I’d ever seen. And then as a final fuck you, we were targeted by you and your people that night in the clearing. But you know what? I survived all that, and I’m going to survive this.”

Negan scoffed. “If you and your merry brigade of assholes hadn’t killed a bunch of my guys, then maybe ginger and Asian boy would still be alive today. Working for me, of course.”

Waves of bloodlust coursed through him, but Rick took several deep controlled breaths and managed to refrain from killing Negan right then and there, instead opting to continue talking.

“Their names were Abraham and Glenn. Abraham was a good man. He was my friend. And Glenn? He was like a son to me, and now he’ll never get to meet his unborn child. You killed him in front of his pregnant wife, and you fucking _laughed_. I didn’t laugh when we took your outpost. Nobody did. We did it because we were so hungry and desperate that we’d do anything to survive. But you? You don’t know what it’s like. You haven’t had to survive. You just take and take and take. As long as you get to live like a king, you don’t care if everyone else is suffering. Actually, you’re more like a tyrant. Fall in line or die? That’s not how you make allies, Negan. You rule over your people with fear and punish anyone who shows a shred of resistance. And you know what happens to tyrants, right?”

Rick zoomed over to Negan and grabbed him by the neck through the bars.

“They always lose. No matter how powerful they are, they always get defeated in the end. I’ve had enough of your shit. Your reign of terror ends now. You’ve been overthrown.”

Rick turned and nodded at Daryl, who had been standing silently by the stairs the entire time. Negan had been so focused on Rick he hadn’t even noticed the other man’s presence.

“Come on down!” Daryl called up to someone upstairs.

Two people began descending the stairs, their footsteps echoing off the room’s concrete walls. A second later, Dwight and Simon stepped into the room. Daryl resumed his position at the base of the stairs.

Dwight, brooding and silent as ever, glumly stared ahead at Negan. His expression was otherwise neutral.

Simon on the other hand was grinning as usual and looked very pleased. He had a bottle of tequila in his hand.

“So this is it, huh? Negan’s got his own private room in the Grimes hotel. It’s not exactly a five star resort though. I’d be complaining about being given a room like this but that’s just me.” Simon announced.

Negan furrowed his brow and glared at his guys. “Excuse the shit out of me, but would you mind telling me what the fuck is going on here?”

He had an idea, and if he was right he’d have to reward the two for playing along. There really was only one possibility, and that was that his guys were stringing Rick along, pretending to have switched sides and that they’d strike on his cue. Or maybe.....no. That would never happen. That wasn’t even an option.

“Don’t worry Negan. We’ve got everything under control.” Dwight assured. He had a certain gleam in his eye that Negan had never seen before, but he dismissed it as nothing.

“You’re damn right Dwighty boy. This whole community is about to go up in flames. You hear that, Rick? I’m going to burn your whole community to the ground!” Negan threatened.

Rick ignored the man, choosing instead to brush some dirt off his shirt and feign interest in the floor.

“So Rick,” Simon turned towards Rick. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any better beverages around here? I’m not so keen on tequila. It tastes like Pine-Sol. I’m more of a gin man. Of course, I won’t let this go to waste. I know just who’ll want it.”

The tall man twisted the cap off the bottle and strutted over to Negan.

“Want a drink, boss man? You look like you could use one.”

He didn’t wait for Negan’s reply before holding the bottle upside down and pouring its contents all over the Savior leader. The chained up man couldn’t move, all he could do was sit there as he got absolutely drenched in alcohol. He winced in pain as it seeped into the puncture wounds on his busted arm.

Negan gritted his teeth in annoyance. This whole pretending to be on Rick’s side thing was clever as hell but it was really grating on his nerves. Simon was the type to really ham it up when given the opportunity, but pouring tequila all over him and possibly ruining his leather jacket was taking it too far.

“You can drop the act now. We’ve already won. Simon, Dwight, kill Daryl, bust me out of here, drag Rick outside and most importantly, find Lucille.” he commanded.

His lieutenants simply stared back in response.

“No.” Dwight said firmly.

“Is that resistance, D? When I give an order, you fucking do it. It doesn’t matter if I’m locked up, I’m still THE guy. I’m still in charge.” Negan growled. Something was wrong. Simon and Dwight were his top guys, he trusted them to protect him, and they always did everything he asked without complaint. It wasn’t like them to go against his orders. Worry was beginning to gnaw at him, but he refused to look weak.

“You’re not in charge anymore.” 

“Dwight, if you don’t bust me out of here right fucking now, I’ll iron the other side of your face and send Sherry back to working for points.”

“Your threats mean nothing to me.” Dwight locked eyes with Negan as he spoke.

Unbelievable. _Unfuckingbelievable._ That slimy, backstabbing piece of shit. All this time, Dwight had been a double agent. A sleazy, lying snake in the grass. He’d had a rat in the sanctuary this whole time and he never even knew it. Negan’s blazing eyes flickered between Dwight and Simon, who was idly standing by looking amused by the whole situation. Why was Simon allowing this? He should have killed Dwight already, but he didn’t. Had he known all along?

That’s when it all clicked into place. Simon wasn’t the loyal friend he had appeared to be, and his betrayal cut deep. Dwight betraying him made more sense considering that they didn’t start out on the best of terms, but Simon? His best fucking friend?

Negan was consumed with fury. He was angrier than he’d ever been in his life, but he didn’t explode with rage and yell like he thought he would. Even he was surprised by the soft, almost wounded tone his voice took on.

“So this is how it ends. I trusted you. I fucking trusted you with my life, only for both of you assholes to turn on me like the cowards you are. I never thought Lucille would be thirsty for the blood of my own men, but here we are. When I get out, I’m killing you two along with all the others. You can both rot in hell with Rick for all I care.”

“The only one dying today is you.” Dwight spat the words with poison.

He lit up a cigarette and took a long drag off it before blowing the smoke in Negan’s face.

“You’re a terrible liar, Dwight.” Negan spoke with confidence, but in truth he was starting to sweat a bit. Dwight wasn’t really going to do it, was he? It was then he remembered Rick’s words from several minutes ago. Rick said _he_ wasn’t going to kill Negan, but he wasn’t going to stop anyone who tried.

Simon shot Negan a look that could have almost passed for sympathy. 

“Just so you know, it’s not personal between you and me. You’ve got something I want. With you dead, I’ll be the leader of the Saviors. It’s all business with me. But Dwight? He’s got his reasons.” Simon said and shrugged.

“That’s right. I’ve got my reasons, and you know exactly why.” Dwight took the cigarette from his mouth and held it over Negan’s alcohol soaked form.

Panic flooded over him as he realized that his life was actually in critical danger.

“Come on Dwight. You don’t want to kill me! I’ll give you anything you want. I’ll let Sherry go back to you, and you’ll both get infinite points!” Negan tried to bargain, but Dwight’s ice cold hate filled glare didn’t waver. He held the cigarette closer to Negan.

Negan tried to back up, but he had nowhere to go, and the burning end of the cigarette was only mere inches from his tequila soaked face. He couldn’t die like this. He couldn’t.

“Simon, please! Don’t let this asshole kill me! I was good to you! I saved you! I saved all of you!” Negan pleaded, getting down on his knees and feeling utterly pathetic. He was disgusted with himself, having to beg for his life like a bitch, but most of all he was terrified. He’d thought of himself as invincible and untouchable, and refused to admit that he wasn’t. He was no invincible super human, he was just as mortal as everyone else.

Simon smirked. “Huh. I never thought I’d live to see the day where _you_ kneeled for _me._ You look good on your knees.”

Dwight took another drag from the cigarette before extending it back towards Negan’s face. He knocked a few smoldering ashes off the end, and Negan leaned back to avoid them.

It was then that he realized nobody was going to save him. Simon wasn’t going to kill Dwight and bust him out. Rick wasn’t going to have a change of heart and let him go. He, savior of all, was going to be made into a martyr. He had saved them, every last one of them, yet nobody thought he was worth saving. He was going to die on his knees as a wretched failure.

“I saved you, Dwight. I saved you!” Negan pleaded one last time out of pure desperation.

“The only person you ever saved was yourself.”

Dwight flicked the cigarette at Negan, and his jacket caught fire immediately. The flames spread quickly, licking at his flesh and burning his body. He howled with agony as the fire consumed him, scorching him. His hair set ablaze and his skin started to bubble and char as his screams began to die out. The last thing he ever saw was Dwight staring at him with hatred, Simon looking at him with indifference, and from the back of the room, Rick’s smiling face. Rick’s smile grew as he watched Negan burn.

Within minutes, Negan was reduced to a smoking black husk.

The room was quiet for several long moments. Rick felt a calm, almost tranquil feeling wash over him. The end was in sight. He silently observed Dwight and Simon as they stared at Negan’s burned corpse.

Simon cocked his head and looked at what remained of his former leader. “I almost feel bad for him. Almost. But it had to be done to bring in the future of the Saviors. Me being the number one guy and you by my side. We’re going to make a great team! It’s too bad about Negan, but that’s in the past now. Plus, you had a genuine reason to want him dead and I know you won’t regret taking him out.”

“You’re right, I don’t regret it. And I won’t regret this either.” Dwight said.

“What do you mean by that, Dwighty boy?” Simon inquired.

Dwight didn’t respond with words. With cat like reflexes, he whipped his knife from its holster and plunged it into Simon’s chest.

Simon’s eyes went wide and he stared in disbelief at the red stain that was spreading out from the knife lodged just below his neck.

Dwight was on him in an instant. He pounced on the other man, knocking him to the floor. A copious amount of blood spurted from the wound as Dwight pulled the knife out. Simon thrashed about maniacally in a futile attempt to get his attacker off him and stop the blood flow, but he was stabbed in the chest a second time. Dwight stabbed Simon again and again until he finally stopped moving. His clothes, the walls and Simon himself were all covered in blood by the time he was done. He holstered his knife and turned towards Rick.

Rick rose a brow in surprise. He was taken aback, but could only come up with a few words since yelling at Negan had taken a lot out of him.

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect that.”

“I wasn’t about to let that psycho take over the sanctuary. No way.” Dwight replied.

He took several slow steps towards the man, presenting himself in a peaceful manner despite being covered in blood.

“Your people are free now. It’s over, Rick. It’s over.” Dwight managed a small smile for the first time in months.

“No it ain’t.”

Blood splattered and immediately began flowing as Dwight’s neck was suddenly impaled with a green tipped crossbow bolt. His hands flew to his neck as he started choking on his own blood. In a daze, he turned to look at his attacker. Daryl, crossbow in hand with a second bolt already loaded, stepped out from the shadows. The second bolt pierced Dwight’s left eye and busted partway through the back of his head. He staggered for a moment before collapsing face first onto the floor. Gore clumped to the tip of the arrow and a pool of blood began spreading out from the dead man’s head as he rapidly bled out.

“Told you I was going to kill that prick.” Daryl said without an ounce of remorse.

“Yeah. You did.” Rick commented. He wasn’t exactly torn up about Dwight’s death.

“What the hell’s going on down there?!” a woman’s voice called out from above. 

“It’s too quiet. Something’s wrong.” a man spoke up next.

Rick didn’t recognize the man’s voice, but he and Daryl both recognized the female voice as belonging to Arat. She was quickly coming down the steps and Rick gave Daryl and understanding nod.

Arat was a lot like Negan. She was an arrogant bully who took what she wanted and didn’t care if others had to suffer for it. She’d be a Negan defender until the very end, plus she was the one who killed Olivia.

Why should she get to live?

“Negan, are you d-” the blonde woman was cut off as Daryl grabbed her by the hair and cut her throat with his hunting knife. Her gun clattered to the floor as blood poured from her deeply sliced neck and stained her chest red. She went limp and Daryl unceremoniously let her body hit the floor.

Someone else was coming down the stairs now.

Rick had a gun to the man’s head before he even saw who it was.

“Drop it. Now. Then slowly turn and face me.”

The man obeyed without hesitation and Daryl instantly swiped his gun away from him. Rick recognized him as Gavin, another one of Negan’s top guys. Out of Negan’s lieutenants, Gavin was the only one who seemed like he could be rehabilitated. He’d never done anything to hurt anyone in Alexandria, but Rick still didn’t trust him at all. Who knows what the guy had been doing over at the Kingdom? Anyone in Negan’s inner circle was as good as dead as far as he was concerned.

Gavin cautiously looked around, taking in the grisly scene.

“Holy shit...they’re all dead. Did...did you do this?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah. The Saviors are done. Finished.” Rick said. He raised his colt python and aimed it at Gavin’s head.

Strangely enough, the man didn’t seem all that scared. “Good. Negan was an asshole.”

“That didn’t seem to stop you from reaping the benefits he offered you.” Rick shot back.

“Wouldn’t you? If you were given the choice of being a slave or being on top, you’d do the same thing. But I never enjoyed killing people. I’m not like them.” Gavin gestured to the four corpses in the room.

“How do I know you aren’t lying to me right now?” Rick probed. 

“Let me go and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

“I’m not falling for that old trick.” Rick kept the gun trained on the man’s head.

“You don’t have to kill me. I can help out your community. I was a carpenter before all this shit started. I’m just a normal guy, not some tyrannical asshole like him! I’m not going to hurt anybody, I swear.” Gavin tried talking his way out of death.

Rick narrowed his eyes. Due to his years working as a deputy, he was great at reading and decoding people. Gavin didn’t seem like a bad guy, and on the surface he appeared to be telling the truth. He was unarmed, cooperative and made no moves to attack anyone. Yet Rick had a small voice nagging in his head that he should kill Gavin anyways.

“I want to believe you. I really do. But I can’t.” Rick’s finger was on the trigger.

“We can’t risk letting him in. I say kill him.” Daryl piped up. He had his crossbow ready to go just in case he tried anything.

Gavin looked at Rick with a mix of fear, acceptance and disgust. “You’re just like him, Rick. The only difference is that you don’t even know it.”

Rick pulled the trigger. Blood and brain fragments splattered all over the wall as the bullet tore through Gavin’s head. He fell backwards at Daryl’s feet and blood instantly began pooling around his head.

The peaceful, tranquil feeling returned full force and he almost felt like he was floating. He had done it. They didn’t have to collect for the Saviors anymore. For the first time in forever, they could live in peace without the constant threat of death hanging over their heads. At last, his people were free.

In the back of the room, Simon was beginning to twitch and move about as he reanimated. 

“I got him.” Daryl shot a bolt into his head before he could fully turn. He put an arrow into the heads of Negan and Arat as well to prevent them from turning. He yanked his arrows out of their heads to reclaim them, then rejoined Rick by the stairs.

“Now it’s over. They can’t hurt us anymore.”

“I’m so tired, Daryl. I’m tired of fighting.” Rick had spent so long in survival mode, and now that he didn’t have to worry about the Saviors anymore, he suddenly felt as if he hadn’t slept in a thousand years. His entire body ached and he felt decades older than he really was.

“I know, Rick. I know. But it’s over now.” Daryl assured him and put his hand on Rick’s shoulder.

A genuine smile broke out across Rick’s face and his blue eyes glowed with happiness.

“Yeah. It’s over.”


End file.
